The Turnbull-Joyce government is changing lives and saving lives in Tasmania by upgrading more than a dozen roads with a crash history.

Federal Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Darren Chester together with Liberal Senator for Tasmania and Chair of the Tasmanian Black Spot Consultative Panel, Jonathon Duniam, today announced $1.47 million for the state under the 2017-18 funding round of the Black Spot Programme.

“The Australian Government is building safer roads and the 15 ‘black spot’ roads will be substantially improved over the next year,” Mr Chester said.

“I’m passionate about keeping people safe on our roads, and on average completed Black Spot road projects reduce fatalities and injuries by 30 per cent.”

Senator Duniam said this critical investment in black spot projects would deliver safer roads in 12 local government areas throughout Tasmania.

“With 55 injury crashes recorded at these sites the much-needed projects will make real improvements to road safety at these 15 local black spots,” Senator Duniam said.

The Australian Government would like to thank the panel, which reviews priorities for the Black Spot programme. The panel includes representatives from the Tasmania Police, Tasmanian Motorcycle Council, Bicycle Network Tasmania, the Royal Automobile Club of Tasmania, the Tasmanian Transport Association, the Local Government Association of Tasmania and the Department of State Growth.